Stars
Maven
A compound star: 4 large half-square triangle star points at the corners, plain cross arms between them, and a smaller Sawtooth Star at the center with corner half-square triangles, flying-geese arms, and a 4" finished center square. Finishes at 16" x 16".
Cut list
What to cut for one 16 inch finished block. A quarter inch seam allowance is already in every size.
Feature
- 2 squares
- 4⅞"Cut once on the diagonal, layered with the background fabric. Each square makes 2 triangles.
- 1 square
- 4½"
Accent
- 4 rectangles
- 5¼" × 2⅞"
- 2 squares
- 2⅞"Cut once on the diagonal, layered with the background fabric. Each square makes 2 triangles.
Background
- 2 rectangles
- 8½" × 4½"
- 2 rectangles
- 4½" × 8½"
- 2 squares
- 4⅞"Cut once on the diagonal, layered with the feature fabric. Each square makes 2 triangles.
- 2 squares
- 2⅞"Cut once on the diagonal, layered with the accent fabric. Each square makes 2 triangles.
- 8 squares
- 2⅞"
By region
| Region | Fabric | Units | Cut from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer TL Light | Background | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer TL Star Point | Feature | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer TR Light | Background | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer TR Star Point | Feature | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer BL Light | Background | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer BL Star Point | Feature | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer BR Light | Background | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Outer BR Star Point | Feature | 1 | 4⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Top Cross Arm | Background | 1 | 8½" × 4½" |
| Left Cross Arm | Background | 1 | 4½" × 8½" |
| Right Cross Arm | Background | 1 | 4½" × 8½" |
| Bottom Cross Arm | Background | 1 | 8½" × 4½" |
| Inner TL Light | Background | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner TL Star Point | Accent | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner TR Light | Background | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner TR Star Point | Accent | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner BL Light | Background | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner BL Star Point | Accent | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner BR Light | Background | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner BR Star Point | Accent | 1 | 2⅞" square, cut once on the diagonal |
| Inner Top Goose | Accent | 1 | 5¼" × 2⅞" |
| Inner Top Sky (Left) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Top Sky (Right) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Left Goose | Accent | 1 | 5¼" × 2⅞" |
| Inner Left Sky (Top) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Left Sky (Bottom) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Right Goose | Accent | 1 | 5¼" × 2⅞" |
| Inner Right Sky (Top) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Right Sky (Bottom) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Bottom Goose | Accent | 1 | 5¼" × 2⅞" |
| Inner Bottom Sky (Left) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Bottom Sky (Right) | Background | 1 | 2⅞" |
| Inner Center | Feature | 1 | 4½" |
How it goes together
- Step 1
Cut your pieces
Cut the pieces in the cut list. The sizes are for a 16 inch finished Maven block and already include a quarter inch seam allowance.
- Step 2
Make the flying geese and half-square triangle units
Sew a sky piece to each end of the goose rectangle and press outward. Sew each pair of triangles along its long edge and press toward the darker fabric. Trim every unit to size before you join it.
- Step 3
Assemble the block
Join the units into rows, then join the rows. Press as you go and square the finished block to size.
Read more
Color value vs hue in quilts
Value is how light or dark a color is. Hue is what we usually call “the color itself.” In quilts, value carries the design — hue carries the mood.
5 min read
Quilt block families, explained
Most quilt blocks belong to one of six families — Patchwork, Half-square triangles, Flying geese, Stars, Curves, and Hexagons. Each family is a way of piecing fabric together.
6 min read
The quilter’s seam allowance, explained
A seam allowance is the strip of fabric between the seam and the raw edge. Quilters work in a standard 1/4 inch — and getting it right is the difference between a top that finishes flat and one that fights you.
5 min read
Try the Maven on a real layout.
Open it on the Design Wall. Try a few colors, see the math, change your mind.